<p>Let me start with who I would avoid…</p>
<p>Dan Keenan (Statistics) – Boring and incredibly rigid. He reads straight from power points and does not actually explain the material, be prepared to self-teach most of the material. Tests are miserable (same tests are used for all Stat 212 classes).</p>
<p>Jeff Legro (Gov’t/FA) – He’s not really a bad guy, but his classes can be incredibly dry and he tends to repeat certain catch phrases over-and-over. </p>
<p>Vivian Thomson (Environmental Science) – There’s a definite “liberal” vibe in many parts of UVA, but she’s a step beyond that. The material is for the most part very interesting (we read “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” which opened my eyes to food politics in the US) but she gets off on so many tangents.</p>
<p>And my favorites:</p>
<p>Stephen Fuchs (Sociology) – Dry lectures interspersed with even dryer humor in a thick German accent. He’s very much into social-philosophy with an affinity for German philosophers (Hegel, Marx, Heidegger, etc.) He’s a very nice guy, the coursework is generally light and he usually finishes early. One con is that he does not use email, like ever…but he’s very much available for office hours.</p>
<p>Paul Freedman (Government) – Very cool professor that specializes in political communication/media. He works for ABC New York as an election analyst part-time. He frequently incorporates You-Tube and other media into his lectures/discussions. It is best if you can get into a small section with him as the class is 10x better. Course work is moderate, but he’s pretty clear on his expectations and very willing to help.</p>
<p>Gordon Stewart (German) – He doesn’t teach at the language level (101-202 stuff) but he knows so much about German history, architecture and cultural history. I went to Berlin with him on a J-term class and it was an amazing experience! He’s also one of the College’s associate Deans.</p>
<p>David O’Brien (Government) – Supreme Court guru! His courses are very demanding, but very rewarding. He knows his stuff and knows how to crack a joke or two. He’s met justices, and if you are considering law school and are a gov’t major, he’s probably the best guy to get to know.</p>
<p>Paul Kingston (Sociology) – Very knowledgeable, approachable and he really encourages discussion.</p>